Thousands rally against Erdogan as Turkey mourns deadliest attack
By Fulya Ozerkan, Camille Antunes October 11, 2015 7:16 PM
Associated Press Videos
Raw: Thousands Mourn Victims of Ankara Blast
Ankara
(AFP) - Thousands of mourners filled the streets of Ankara Sunday and
vented their anger at President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after 97 people
were killed in the country's worst-ever terror attack, while the
government raced to identify the two male suicide bombers it blamed for
the bloodshed.
Flags flew at half-mast across Turkey on the first
of three days of national mourning declared by Prime Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu, as questions grew over who could have ordered Saturday's
bombings on a peace rally in Ankara.
Turkey's
pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), one of the groups that had
organised the rally, said it believes the death toll now stands at 128.
With the country on edge, Erdogan issued a statement condemning the "heinous" bombings and cancelled a planned visit to Turkmenistan but he has yet to speak in public since the attack that shocked the nation.
On Sunday, thousands of demonstrators thronged central Ankara's Sihhiye Square, close to the blast site by the city's main train station, to pay tribute to the victims.
Many
of those gathered accused the government of failing to provide security
at the ill-fated rally and several anti-government demonstrators
shouted "Erdogan murderer" and "government resign!"
"I am a
mother, I'm worried about my grandchildren, I am marching for our
children, for our future. Each time there are people dead, I also die a
little," said Zahide, who like many others carried a pink carnation
flower to commemorate the victims.The premier's office said 97 people were killed when the bombs exploded just after 10:00 am (0700 GMT) as leftist and pro-Kurdish activists assembled for the rally.
It added that 507 people were wounded, with 160 still in hospital and 65 in intensive care in 19 hospitals.
An
AFP correspondent said the scene of the blast was littered with ball
bearings, indicating the explosions were intended to cause maximum
damage.
- 'Topple the dictator' -
In
an emotional address to the mourners in Ankara, the HDP's leader
Selahattin Demirtas said that rather than seeking revenge people should
aim to end Erdogan's rule, starting with the upcoming legislative
elections.
....................................................................................................
Fury towards Erdogan intensifies after Ankara attack
By Fulya Ozerkan, Camille Antunes October 12, 2015 1:43 AM
Ankara
(AFP) - Anger towards President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Turkey's
worst-ever terrorist attack intensified as authorities raced to identify
the two male suicide bombers it blamed for the bloodshed.
The streets of Ankara filled with anti-government and pro-Kurdish protesters accusing the government of responsibility for the blast that ripped through a peace rally a day earlier, with several shouting "Erdogan murderer" and "government resign!"
The streets of Ankara filled with anti-government and pro-Kurdish protesters accusing the government of responsibility for the blast that ripped through a peace rally a day earlier, with several shouting "Erdogan murderer" and "government resign!"
In Istanbul on Saturday, a 10,000-strong crowd accused the government of failing to protect citizens by providing security for the event, carrying placards reading "the state is a killer" and "we know the murderers".
As
tributes poured in from world leaders, Selahattin Demirtas, leader of
the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), was cited as saying "State attacked
the people. Condolences recipient should be the people not Erdogan" on
the party's Twitter account.
In
an emotional address to mourners in Ankara, Demirtas said that citizens
should aim to end Erdogan's rule, starting with the upcoming
legislative elections.
"We
are not going to act out of revenge and hatred. But we are going to ask
for (people to be held to) account," he added, saying the vote would be
part of a process to "topple the dictator."
The
party believes the death toll now stands at 128, higher than the 97
people the prime minister's office said were killed when the bombs
exploded on Saturday morning as leftist and pro-Kurdish activists
assembled by the city's main train station.
The official toll also said 507 people were wounded, with 160 still in hospital and 65 in intensive care in 19 hospitals
.
- Erdogan silent
No comments:
Post a Comment
Hello and thank you for visiting my blog. Please share your thoughts and leave a comment :)